


Doubt

by aceofsparrows



Category: Hadestown - Mitchell
Genre: Angst, F/M, Songfic, oof, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:21:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24078910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aceofsparrows/pseuds/aceofsparrows
Summary: We're singing it again, my friends. Maybe it'll turn out this time...feat. some OLD lyrics to "Doubt Comes In" (the originals, I think)
Relationships: Eurydice/Orpheus (Hadestown)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	Doubt

_**Doubt comes in** _

_**And strips the paint** _

_**Doubt comes in** _

_**And turns the wine** _

_**Doubt comes in and leaves a trace** _

_**Of vinegar and turpentine** _

There’s a foul taste in his mouth. Something awful, something that makes him gag and cough.

Death. He smells death. The air, thick with sulfur, the rot of those long gone clouding his nostrils and making his stomach turn.

He keeps walking.

_**Where are you? Where are you now?** _

Eurydice is behind him, he’s sure of it. It’s so dark that he can’t see his hand in front of his face, but he knows she’s there. She has to be.

He keeps walking.

_**Doubt comes in** _

_**And kills the lights** _

_**Doubt comes in** _

_**And chills the air** _

_**Doubt comes in and all falls silent** _

_**It’s as though you aren’t there** _

He remembers the winter. He wonders whether it’s almost spring again, how long he’s been Below. Maybe Lady Persephone will greet them Above, her ambrosia wine and wide smile welcoming them home to the sunlight.

He remembers the winter, and of Eurydice’s voice calling to him as he chased his song. How foolish he was to ignore her, to go chasing after a song that had been in his heart the whole time. A song he sings now, no matter how small his voice may be. _La la la la la la la la…_

He keeps walking.

_**Where are you? Where are you now?** _

He calls her name. _Eurydice?_ She doesn’t answer, but he tells himself that it’s because she’s afraid. He’ll show her he’s not afraid, that he will protect her and bring her home just like he promised.

He promised.

He keeps walking.

_**Orpheus** _

_**You’re shivering** _

_**Is it cold or fear?** _

_**Just keep singing** _

_**The coldest night** _

_**Of coldest year** _

_**Comes right before the spring** _

She can hear him singing, that lilting melody over and over again etched on the hard, cold walls of her heart. She can hear him singing, but when she tried to echo him no sound comes out of her mouth. Perhaps it’s part of Hades’ deal, perhaps she is something inbetween death and life right now and has no voice. Whatever it is, she sees his trembling back and hears his trembling voice and hopes against hope that he know’s she right behind him.

She keeps walking.

_**Doubt comes in** _

_**With tricky fingers** _

_**Doubt comes in** _

_**With fickle tongues** _

_**Doubt comes in and my heart falters** _

_**And forgets the songs it sung** _

He can hear voices whispering at the edges of his mind, and he knows they’re not Eurydice. He’s heard them only once before, after the workers beat him up, when the voices urged him to go home alone, to give up.

The Fates.

He grew up hearing stories of the Fates, and he’s always known they had something special planned for him, something different and extraordinary. He always wished it would be spectacular and important, but now he wishes he hadn’t.

All he wants is himself and Eurydice home and safe.

The Fates think otherwise.

He keeps walking.

_**Where are you? Where are you now?** _

His thoughts begin to wander. Is Eurydice still behind him? He can’t even hear her footsteps, or her breath, or feel her gaze between his shoulder blades like he should. Is she still following him? She must be…. but is she? How long is this walk? Was it this long earlier when he descended? Where are they? Where is she?

He keeps walking, because that’s all he can do.

_**Orpheus** _

_**Hold on** _

_**Hold on tight** _

_**It won’t be long** _

She’s pleading now. She can see the light; they’re so close. She knows he wants to look back, but she implores him not to. _We’re almost safe, Orpheus. Don’t end it now when we’re so, so close…_

Please. A word she’s never said before in her life. _Please_.

Please keep walking.

She keeps walking.

He keeps walking.

**_Cause the darkest hour_ **

_**Of the darkest night** _

_**Comes right before the dawn** _

He can see the light. They’re out! They’ve really made it. He’s so thrilled… the green grass beneath his feet, the birdsong in the distance. They’ve made it and it’s spring and soon they will drink sweet wine and celebrate and they will have an eternity together.

He needs to see her face in the light.

She calls out but he doesn’t hear her.

He turns.

Her toes on the line, she fades to mist with only his name on her lips.

He turned.

Again.


End file.
